News Headlines for the 7th of April 2021.

Panic as bombs hit gunmen’s hideouts

• There was panic among residents of the Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday as the military bombarded the Ikot Akpan forest in the area.
• Our correspondence learnt that the military operation was aimed at flushing out hoodlums who had been attacking police formations in the state.
• Residents, who share boundaries with hoodlums’ hideouts, told one of our correspondents that the bombing of the forest started at 8am and ended at 12 noon on Tuesday.
• The military exercise came barely 24 hours after gunmen attacked the Imo State police command headquarters and the Nigerian Correctional Service in Owerri, the state capital, where 1,844 inmates were freed.
• It was gathered that before the military exercise in Akwa State on Tuesday,  residents had been asked to steer clear of the Ikot Akpan forest suspected to be a camp of gunmen.

Poly lecturers vow to continue strike despite meeting FG

• The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics on Tuesday met with the Federal Government, but said that its strike which commenced at 12 midnight would still stand.
• The President of ASUP, Anderson Ezeibe, said this at the Federal Ministry of Education after a meeting with the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu.
• He said the strike had not been suspended, adding that the meeting with the minister was the beginning of a resolution, “and until it has been satisfactorily resolved, the strike must go on.”
• The ASUP President said the non-implementation of NEEDS Assessment report of 2014 in the sector, as well as the inability to release any revitalisation fund to the sector despite assurances since 2017 was one key factors for the strike.
• However, the Federal Government said nothing would be impossible in reaching an agreement with the ASUP. Adamu said the governing council had been selected and would soon be inaugurated.

Kaduna killings continue, eight dead, four church members abducted

• Bandits have killed eight people and abducted  four female members of the Anglican Church  at  Kasuwan Magani in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
• It was also  learnt the six occupants of a Volkswagen Golf car were kidnapped by the bandits along the Kaduna-Kachia road on Tuesday.
• While the  state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan,  in a statement on Tuesday, confirmed the killing of eight persons, he was   silent on the abducted people.
• But the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria confirmed the abduction of its members to our correspondence saying the abductors were demanding a  N100m ransom.
• It was gathered that members of the Anglican church were kidnapped at Kasuwan Magani also along the Kaduna-Kachia road.
• The abduction of the Anglican Church members came 12 days after their counterparts from the Redeemed Christian Church of God were abducted on the same road.
• Also, students of the Federal  College of Forestry Mechanisation, Kaduna, who were abducted three weeks ago had yet to regain freedom.

Kogi begins COVID-19 vaccination

• THE Kogi State Government on Tuesday officially flagged off the vaccination of citizens against coronavirus with a pledge that nobody would be deprived of taking the COVID-19 vaccines.
• The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Haruna Saka, who made this pledge in Lokoja, explained that the state government had also resolved not to compel any individual in the state to take the vaccine.
• Saka disclosed that the state government received about 16,900 unit of the vaccines, adding another 16,900 of AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine was expected in the state in a couple of weeks.

• Some top officials that took the vaccine are the Health Commissioner, Dr Saka Haruna; Information Commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo; state CAN Chairman, Bishop John Ibenu; Director, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abubakar Yakubu, among others.

Billionaires list: Dangote, Adenuga, Rabiu’s wealth rises 

• The combined net worth of three of Nigeria’s richest persons increased by $5.7bn in one year to $22.5bn, according to Forbes’ 2021 World’s Billionaires list.
• The list, which was released on Tuesday, includes 14 African billionaires, with the President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, leading the pack.
• Dangote, Africa’s richest person, saw his net worth jump to $11.5bn from $8.3bn in 2020, making him the 191st wealthiest person in the world.
• The Chairman of Globacom and Conoil Plc, Dr Mike Adenuga, who is Nigeria’s second richest person and the fifth on the continent, was ranked 440th as his fortune rose to $6.1bn from $5.6bn last year.
• The wealth of the founder of BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu, surged to $4.9bn from $2.9bn in 2020, making him the 574th richest person in the world and the sixth in Africa.
• The other Africans on the list comprise five South Africans, five Egyptians and one Algerian.